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Coral Reef Support in Malaysia by Starwood

Starwood will help saving and developing underwater life in Malaysia. The famous hotelier operates The Andaman in Langkawi, a high end resort and a member of Starwood’s Luxury Collection. Starwood announced the start of partnership with Lafarge Malaysia Berhad, according to which they will release 52 Artificial Reef Module Systems (ARMS) in the area of the Datai Bay. This region is known for its ancient coral reefs, some of which are 8,000 years old. However, due to various circumstances, such as tsunami and earthquakes in the Indian Ocean, the reefs are declining. The modules will help to regenerate the reefs. This method of regeneration was developed by Dr. Gerry Goeden, head of The Andaman’s marine environment together with Kee Alfian, who is reef ecologist at Universiti Kebangsaan (Malaysia). The modules create good place for living not only for corals, but also for fish that can hide freely there. Moreover, younger fish usually live in shallow waters, and these modules make the fish move offshore and increase its reproduction, which is definitely good for local fishing and ecology of the region in general.

The management at Andaman plans to use this new program in a number of ways. In addition to its environmental importance, the hotelier wants to make a series of educational and research activities for hotel guests. Artificial reefs have become traditional in some parts of the world, but they are quite new in Southeast Asia, so this new partnership may open a new page in regeneration of this beautiful place.